Twins activate Santana, option Herrmann to Triple-A

By Alex M. Smith / MLB.com

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins activated Danny Santana from the disabled list on Friday, welcoming the infielder/outfielder back after recovering from a bone bruise on his left knee. Santana, who last played for Minnesota on June 25, is batting .328 with a .366 on-base percentage in 37 games.

"He's fun to watch for sure," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He was our igniter before he got hurt. Hopefully he'll get back to that, be swinging good and pick up where he left off."

Santana played three games for Class A Fort Myers while on a rehab assignment, starting twice at center field and once at shortstop. Santana has played shortstop 18 times and center field 18 times for the Twins in his brief big league tenure, and he's also seen action at second base in the Minors.

"You've got to be able to move him around a little bit -- make sure we're using everybody, anyway," Gardenhire said. "I think [outfielder Sam] Fuld's done a really nice job for us. I know if we abuse [Fuld], we're not gonna get the best out of him. So being able to put Danny out there every once in a while and moving Fuldy around while he's swinging good is a good thing."

When Santana settles in at shortstop, he'll be teamed up with second baseman Brian Dozier once again. The two often made a good double-play pair in the first half of the season.

"He's really matured as a player and slowed the game down," Dozier said. "He's had a lot of success so far, so hopefully he can pick back up. Talking with him, he feels good and he's ready to go."

Minnesota optioned backup catcher and outfielder Chris Herrmann to Triple-A Rochester to make room for Santana on the active roster. Herrmann has batted .143 in 42 at-bats for the Twins this year.

"He didn't get to do much," Gardenhire said. "We just didn't get to use him. We brought him up because we had the injuries and all those things. He was playing very well at Triple-A, and he's one of those guys we can go get at any time to play multiple positions and catch, too."

Top prospect Buxton heating up at plate

MINNEAPOLIS -- Baseball's best prospect is on a roll.

Class A Advanced Fort Myers outfielder Byron Buxton -- ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Minors by MLB.com -- went 2-for-5 with a solo home run on Thursday night, and has now hit safely in four straight games.

Drafted second overall in the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the talented outfielder has yet to progress to Double-A.

"We've said all he's got to do is put up some numbers, then we'll consider it," general manager Terry Ryan said. "He's going to get us to start thinking here pretty soon."

After returning from a left wrist injury on July 6, Buxton went 0-for-8 in his first three games with Fort Myers, but he has been flashing his elite talent of late.

Thursday's home run was his first since returning, and he had a triple during a 3-for-4 performance on Wednesday.

"I hope he keeps it up," Ryan said.

With 29 Draft picks signed, Twins quiet at deadline

MINNEAPOLIS -- While the Houston Astros' inability to sign No. 1 overall pick Brady Aiken before Friday's 5 p.m. ET deadline made big headlines, the Twins were under no such stress.

"We had a little action, but nothing in the area of the first round," general manager Terry Ryan said.

Minnesota finished the period by signing 29 of its 40 draftees, one more than it managed last season.

And the team hasn't had much drama in that department for a few weeks -- their last signing was sixth-round pitcher John Curtiss (University of Texas) on July 2.

First-round pick Nick Gordon signed on June 9, and the Twins were able to lock up 25 of their picks by June 24.

The highest unsigned picks were third baseman T.J. White (18th round out of UNLV) and third baseman McCarthy Tatum (20th round out of Clovis, Calif.).

Alex M. Smith is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @asmiff. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.